"We have to certainly win home games," said LSU second-year coach Will Wade, who missed an NCAA Tournament bid last year by about two wins with a 17-14 regular season and 8-10 finish in the SEC with three league losses at home, including 74-66 to the Tide on Jan. 13.

"That's the most important part," Wade said. "Last year we got off to a slow start at home in league play, so we need to protect our home court. We need to do a good job of setting the tone."

LSU tends to get off to slow starts against Alabama, which has five straight wins over the Tigers by an average of 13 points - 13 in a row if you count football. The LSU basketball team's last win over the Tide was by 72-70 nearly three years ago on Jan. 23, 2016, at Alabama.

Alabama is very good at a critical part of the game in which LSU has not thrived — rebounding. The Tide is No. 3 in the SEC and No. 32 nationally in rebounding margin at plus-6.8. LSU is No. 10 in the SEC and 82nd nationally at plus-4.4. Kentucky is No. 1 in the SEC and No. 8 nationally in that category, but Alabama beat it on the glass Saturday, 40-32.

"They've got a ton of athletic bodies," Wade said. "They're long. They're big at every position from point guard to the 3 and 4."

Freshman point guard Kira Lewis is 6-foot-3 and leads Alabama with 14.8 points a game. Donta Hall, a 6-9 senior forward, is the top rebounder with 8.3 a game and is scoring 11.1 points a game.

There are four big guards in 6-7 sophomore Herbert Jones, who is scoring 7.5 points a game with 4.8 rebounds, 6-6 junior Tevin Mack, who is scoring 9.9 a game with 3.3 rebounds, 6-5 junior Dazon Ingram, who is scoring 8.4 points with 4.8 rebounds, and 6-5 sophomore John Petty, who is averaging 10.7 points a game with 4.8 rebounds.

"It will be a big challenge for us," Wade said.

LSU won its last six SEC home games last year and is significantly bigger this season, but the extra height has not put up the tall rebounding numbers. Freshman forward Naz Reid is 6-10, but is only averaging 5.8 rebounds along with his 12.6 points a game. Junior transfer forward Kavell Bigby-Williams is 6-11, but he is averaging 4.5 rebounds with 6.8 points off the bench.

Freshman forward Emmitt Williams, who is 6-6, leads the Tigers with 6.6 rebounds a game while scoring 8.9 a game. And 6-6 freshman forward Darius Days is 6-6 and averaging 5.0 rebounds a game and 6.6 points off the bench.

LSU has a big freshman guard in 6-4 Ja'vonte Smart, but he is grabbing just 2.9 rebounds while scoring 10.2 points a game. Skylar Mays, a 6-4 junior guard, leads the Tigers with 13.5 points a game, but is rebounding at only 3.4 a game.

"Last year we had some 6-4 guys out there guarding 6-10 guys," Wade said. "This year, we'll have 6-10 guys guarding 6-10 guys. That will be a little bit of help. But just because you're as tall doesn't mean anything. We have some guys who can hopefully get in there and bang around a little bit better that we did last season."

Alabama out-rebounded LSU, 40-24, in that win in Baton Rouge last season.

On the perimeter, the Tigers will rely on 5-11 sophomore point guard Tremont Waters, who is scoring 12.5 points a game while leading the SEC in steals with 3.2 a game for third in the nation along with 5.5 assists a game.

"We need to do a good job of keeping them off the glass," Wade said. "And we have to keep them out of transition."